Author

MJ Galbraith

MJ Galbraith's Latest Articles

New contest for small and emerging Michigan snack makers offers $50K in cash prizes and more

“The growth of new small craft and niche snack food companies in Michigan is exciting,” says Duncan Smith, President and COO of All Star Services, Inc. “All Star Services is a growing small business and we want to help bring more focus to the growing segment of snack food companies in Michigan.”

APIAVote-MI attend the October 20th Detroit public hearing
Community groups look to convince redistricting commission to change state maps

The Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission will listen to public comments in Lansing and Detroit this December as they prepare to vote on the maps representing Michigan’s new political districts on Thursday, Dec. 30. Here’s how area nonprofits are approaching what could be the final month of discourse.

Miigwech, Inc. members dressed in traditional attire addressed the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission at a public hearing in Lansing in October.
Nonprofit organizes trips to redistricting hearings to provide platform for Native American voices

“Even though this was about redistricting, it was even more of a way for us to say: Number one, you’re on our lands, and you should include us in everything. And number two, we're everywhere. We're in every voting neighborhood. We're in every voting bloc. We are all over the place,” says Meredith Kennedy, executive director of the Miigwech, Inc. nonprofit organization.

Jerron Totten, social outreach coordinator and legislative advocacy specialist for LGBT Detroit
Communities left questioning the redistricting process as they don’t see themselves represented

Communities of interest cut. Potential violations of the Voting Rights Act. With the release of ten draft maps from the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission, communities cut from the maps have more questions than answers.

Communities First, Inc. hosted an informative workshop on Oct. 7 in Flint to prepare public input on the redistricting process and maps in their community.
Michigan nonprofits are asking their communities to comment on maps for state redistricting process

We voted for this process so now we need to participate in this process,” says Norman Clement, founder of the Detroit Change Initiative, a member of the MNA coalition of nonprofits. As the public hearings near, read how Michigan nonprofits are helping their communities do just that.

From left to right: APIA president Willie Dechavez, Commissioner Anthony Eid, Commissioner Richard Weiss, Commissioner M.C. Rothhorn, Commissioner Rebecca Szetela, Rebeka Islam, APIA Vice President Leinda Schleicher
How underrepresented communities have a chance to overcome gerrymandering

“We are concerned with populations that have been historically underrepresented and have, traditionally, not been brought into these kinds of processes,” says Joan Gustafson, external affairs officer for MNA. 

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